ARLINGTON, TX – NOVEMBER 3: Christian Ponder #7 of the Minnesota Vikings is hit and fumbles the ball in the end zone by Jarius Wynn #92 of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 3, 2013 in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys defeated the Vikings 27-23. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

1. Chiefs 9-0 (1): They have taken care of an easy schedule to date and have a week off before facing the Broncos, Chargers and Broncos again in the next three.

2. Seahawks 8-1 (3): They needed a furious rally not to fall at home to the Bucs and have a few weeks to straighten things out before the Saints and 49ers loom in December.

3. Colts 6-2 (4): Andrew Luck quickly is adding to his legend after a big rally in Houston.

4. Broncos 7-1 (5): It will be interesting to see if Jack Del Rio can juggle the interim head coach role while still running the defense. We all know Peyton Manning runs the offense.

5. 49ers 6-2 (6): Michael Crabtree returns to practice this week and will soon give the offense a major boost.

6. Patriots 7-2 (9): Tom Brady is in rhythm now with Rob Gronkowski on the field and rookie wideout Aaron Dobson emerging.

7. Saints 6-2 (2): Yes, the Jets have a legitimate defense, but the early success of the Saints defense appears to be wearing off. It was a bad loss.

8. Lions 5-3 (10): The injury to Aaron Rodgers seemingly boosts their chance to grab the NFC North lead, but this might be the most difficult team in the league to trust.

9. Bengals 6-3 (8): An overtime loss in Miami is proof of the up-and-down nature of this team that is now without defensive stalwart Geno Atkins.

10. Packers 5-3 (7): It was easy to write about how well they were handling injuries until Aaron Rodgers was injured.

11. Panthers 5-3 (12): They have rolled off four straight wins but face the 49ers, Patriots, Dolphins and Saints in the next five weeks. Tests are looming.

12. Cowboys 5-4 (13): Check it out: The NFC East has a team above .500 after they survived a scare from Christian Ponder.

13. Bears 5-3 (15): Optimism has returned to Halas Hall with a chance for a statement in the division Sunday against the Lions.

14. Jets 5-4 (17): Just when you are ready to write off Rex Ryan and Co. for good — after a 40-point loss — they do something like topple the Saints. Go figure.

15. Chargers 4-4 (11): It’s easy to wonder if Mike McCoy will be regretting the goal-line scenario in the loss to the Redskins at the end of the season. A head-scratcher.

16. Cardinals 4-4 (16): Some winnable games are coming up if they are thinking about making a move.

17. Dolphins 4-4 (18): A storm of distractions has taken over since their victory Thursday. This situation is ugly, and on the field Ryan Tannehill’s protection is compromised.

18. Titans 4-4 (19): Chris Johnson is rolling and Jake Locker is in the lineup. That’s a good place to start.

19. Browns 4-5 (21): A gritty effort by Jason Campbell secured a win over the Ravens. Now Mike Lombardi needs to find a draft pick to replace Campbell.

20. Ravens 3-5 (14): Any wild thoughts of repeating can be forgotten if this team doesn’t get its act together pronto.

21. Eagles 4-5 (25): Nick Foles blew up with seven touchdown passes, forcing the team to wonder if he’s Chip Kelly’s guy long-term. It was in Oakland, though.

22. Redskins 3-5 (28): A two-game winning streak, and folks in Washington are imagining the team is back in the NFC East hunt.

23. Giants 2-6 (23): The Raiders are coming in for the first of three consecutive home games. It’s now or never.

24. Steelers 2-6 (20): The Bears defense isn’t quite playing like the oldest unit in the league. That distinction belongs to the Steelers.

25. Bills 3-6 (22): The Chiefs were ripe for an upset in Orchard Park, but Jeff Tuel emphatically proved he should not be playing.

26. Rams 3-6 (24): Zac Stacy is proving to be the Alfred Morris of this year’s draft.

27. Texans 2-6 (29): The remainder of this season is dedicated to finding out exactly what they have in Case Keenum.

28. Falcons 2-6 (26): Painful home playoff losses were nothing compared with this miserable season. The Seahawks come in next for a rematch of a divisional-round thriller.

29. Raiders 3-5 (27): With five of their next seven on the road, the feeling is things will get worse for Terrelle Pryor. Hey, at least he doesn’t have to see Nick Foles again.

30. Vikings 1-7 (30): A prime-time game with the Redskins on Thursday night is just what the Vikings and their quarterback carousel do not need.

31. Buccaneers 0-8 (31): ESPN can’t flex out of the Monday night game with the Dolphins. That’s too bad.

32. Jaguars 0-8 (32): Halfway through the season, and they have eight touchdowns — one more than Nick Foles had last week.

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